In recent years, Facebook and other social media platforms have become popular hubs for community groups to come together and share information and ideas. Unfortunately, this has also led to an increase in spam messages and unwanted solicitations, particularly in Facebook groups, where members can be bombarded with unsolicited messages and posts from spammers seeking to swindle group members out of their money. To combat this issue, many Facebook group administrators are opting to change their group settings from public to private.

The Tantramar Community Concerns Facebook group with over 4800 members is one of many that has recently made this switch. Group administrators were bombarded with overwhelming amounts of spam, including fake duct cleaning services, fake buy/sell services, and fake accounts in general. After discussing the problem with the group members, the decision was made to make the group private.

By changing a group from public to private, administrators gain the ability to control who can join and participate in the group. By limiting membership to only those individuals who have been approved by the administrator, spammers and other unwanted users are prevented from joining. This creates a more engaged and focused community within the group, where members feel comfortable sharing ideas and discussing topics without fear of being bombarded by irrelevant or unwanted messages.

Additionally, a private Facebook group can create a sense of exclusivity and value for members. When membership is limited to only those approved by the group administrator, it can create a sense of belonging to a special or exclusive community, leading to a greater sense of investment and participation from members who feel they are part of something unique and valuable.

One of the criticisms of this change given by a local resident is that this was done to reduce transparency of what is going on in Tantramar. This is pretty ridiculous as anyone can still join the group and see all the posts, as well as the fact that other local groups are also private, such as Sackville NB Community Chatter, Tantramar Tidings and Tantramar NB Community Chatter. These other local groups went private for the same reasons.

To join a private group, interested individuals must answer a series of questions and agree to the group rules, which helps protect members from things such as harassment. While some may argue that making a group private reduces transparency, it is important to note that anyone can still join the group and see all the posts. In fact, other local groups, such as Sackville NB Community Chatter, Tantramar Tidings, and Tantramar NB Community Chatter, have also made the switch to private for the same reasons.

One of the implications of going private is that it is more difficult to share posts on Facebook since the group’s posts are private. However, this can be easily remedied by sharing the link that is included in the post, if any.

In conclusion, changing a Facebook group from public to private is an effective way to combat spam messages and unwanted solicitations on the platform. By creating a more exclusive and focused community, group administrators can encourage greater engagement and participation from members while also preventing spammers and other unwanted users from detracting from the group’s overall quality. As more and more Facebook groups make the switch to private, it is clear that this trend is here to stay.